A World's Destruction
by Chandelles
Summary: Upon stepping out of Xilbalia she knew she had failed what she had come to do, and it devastated her to the bottom of her heart. Warning: Azteca spoilers!


**I do not own Wizard101, that all belongs to Kingsisle!**

* * *

She had failed, she was hurt, and she was devastated.

Alia Unicornriver fit together the whole story within seconds upon stepping back in front of Night Caiman's Celestial Bow, and nearly been hit with a small ball of ice shards. Azteca was going to meet its end, and it was absolutely her fault. If she had just been faster, if she had just been stronger she _could have saved them. _However among the other small number of stunned wizards around her she wasn't going to break down and cry... yet. Wordlessly she remounted her tigress and dashed away disregarding the shouts of protest from her allies. She had to talk to Pacal no matter how much it broke her heart to be the for-bearer of bad news.

* * *

"I'm sorry.. we... no I failed in Xibalia. We didn't make it in time," she gritted her teeth as she looked down at the ground to her side as she felt one of Pacal's feathery wings gently brush over her arm.

"Do not cry over failure, now," Pacal started, "'you come to us at the end. Our days have become hours, our hours, minutes. Every minute is now one lost lifetime. The sky is fire, but I can see the moon clearly now in my mind's eye. It's full and bright, as protective as our mother. Perhaps, a few of us will survive, however our world will be gone... to fuel the dark heart of the Shadow Queen. Alia, you must return to Wizard City and tell your people what transpired here. Help us live on in memory, and keep the story of our people pure- use our tale to inspire an army of light to challenge the Shadow!'"

She only stared back at the ancient bird just noticing the tears on her cheeks. She rubbed them away quickly with her cotton sleeve watching the bird as he only smiled sadly. "I promise you I will never forget Azteca," she looked over her shoulder towards the gate leading to Three Points; the start of her adventure here. She could remember the warm breeze as it rushed through her, the cuts from a battle ax and the small burns she received It felt like those battles had only occurred moments ago. "I promise."

Alia turned to leave, to report the events of Azteca to Professor Cyrus Drake. She wasn't happy that she had to report to the strict and annoying professer of all people however she deserved it._ She_ let these people die, _she _let them not have a future; and for the first time since she had survived and returned from her unexpected victory against Malistare she expected herself to be able to do anything while ignoring all the praises. _What a childish thought that was, _she thought as she took a couple steps away.

"Wait, Alia Unicornriver, promise myself and the people of Azteca one more thing."

"Anything, I owe you my head after what-" she said turning back before being cut off.

"Do not blame yourself for this! Our timing had been off, and its not that you lack skill, Miss Unicornriver. It was the lack of timing and knowledge, remember that, and think of this loss as a future victory. Now go, before you fall with the rest of us!"

As her eyes widened, she couldn't resist holding back the drops of tears that fell as she ran over to the door barely evading the danger from above.

* * *

She sulked all the way to the myth school, and she was quite thankful that Ravenwood was quite empty today instead of crowded as usual. It wasn't that she wouldn't have minded her so-called reputation goes down, no, she didn't care for that at all, it was the fact she was ashamed of herself. Weakly she pushed open the oaken doors, Professor Drake scribbling on a piece of parchment at his desk before pulling another. As he placed the old sheet down she could catch a glimpse of the word "FAILURE" scrawled on over half the page.

"Professor Drake..." she started as he dropped the ink quill instantly.

"Ah! Alia, your back from Azteca... is something the matter?"

"I failed..." she looked down at her feet, lightly closing her eyes. "I failed the Aztecians. The people there are currently facing the apocalypse " she would've added it was her fault, but though she didn't say it she wouldn't blame herself... at least aloud.

"Tell me everything," he stated with a slight hint of shock, he pulled out a piece of paper as Alia started to describe the arrival to Azteca to the end in Xibalia. She didn't fail to catch the hint of shock in his eyes as she brought up how she had seen Malistare's grave, as well seen him in a spectral form as the right-hand man of Morganthe.

"You should go talk to Headmaster Ambrose, he's somewhere in Raven.." the door creaked open as the Promethean therugist and myth teacher looked at the door to see the old man step into the room. "Perfect timing, headmaster," Cyrus said.

"It seems so, welcome back Alia, were you successful in overcoming the Shadow?" Alia didn't say anything as she fiddled with her fingers understanding the fact the old man couldn't see her downcast look in her green eyes.

"Headmaster... most of the Aztecian's will sooner than later become extinct," was an answer that came out of her mouth after a few moments of silence. After saying this and seeing the grim look she started to explain the tale in large detail, adding in a few parts she had forgotten to mention when speaking to Cyrus.

"'Oh my, your tale numbs my heart,'" he started with a hint of sadness within his voice,

"'Morganthe has grown more powerful that I could have imagined. But do not lose heart, my child. Even death is not the end. The good people of Azteca have fallen beneath the fire and the Shadow, yes. But all is not lost, no, all is not lost at all. We will remember their sacrifice! We will tell their stories in the dark of the night, for warmth and for courage. And soon enough dawn will break. As the sun rises on a new day, the Shadow must recede.' Alia, please go and rest up for now. You need it, and in the meantime I'll gather allies who follow the light."

She only nodded, happy enough to escape the dark atmosphere of the school.

* * *

Alia lay on her canopied bed staring at the ceiling as she felt her leopard's, Tigra, paws scrapping gently against her side. She closed her eyes and imagined the hot climate of Cloudburst Forest, the only coolness coming from the shade of the city Alto Alto that was located high above in the trees. She could see herself laughing at one of the many jokes and snide comments made by her friends, despite the fact they were swimming in black and poison infested waters to be only protected by amulets that were tied around their necks. She could also barely remember the smile of all those she helped and let die; even Pacel's haunting smile as she walked away when there could have been something she could have done to at least save most of them. She hit her fist forcefully against her side parallel from where Tigra played as she only heard a slight squeak from the comforts of the mattress.

It was that smile that made her the most miserable, despite the promises she had made.

She had promised that she'd _help _them, but she let them _die_. She had said she _wouldn't_ blame herself, yet here she was trying to think how the life's of countless citizens were dead and counting on her hands. Alia couldn't help but admit it was ironic for her to be a life wizard who had brought the deaths of multiple citizens, she might as well change her primary class to necromancy if she kept that record up.

She sighed deeply as she stroked Tigra, whom had stopped clawing at her and just rested her paws on her side instead with a wondering look in her eyes. "Thanks, Tigra," she said knowing the pet was trying to comfort her. Alia smiled softly as she felt the soft fur in-between in finger's before she let her hand drop upon hearing the doorbell ring frantically. There was only one person who would ring a doorbell like that no matter if he had just tried it once, he was never patient.

She slid off the bed, and strolled through the garden so she could reach and open the door to find another Promethean life wizard like herself standing there. She had known him since they met in Zafaria after multiple strong wizards had been called out to help stop the Shadow Queen's goals, and he was there in Avalon and Azteca as well. However she found his visit slightly surprising for he'd hardly ever come over without a proper invitation, yet she opened the door for him anyway allowing him to step inside, "what are you doing here, Eric?"

The said armored mage stepped inside and instantly sat down on the couch only a few meter's away, in the center of the central chamber of the Wysterian Villa. "You've been down the second we got back to Caiman's, what's wrong?"

An, "eh?" escaped her mouth before she could have thought of a some sort of answer. She had been quite surprised when he had come here concerned curious even. Rarely had anyone shown her concern for years due to her old lonely status, and even when she had finally met a community where she could have been herself she had only seen concern for her maybe once or twice, and that was when her house burnt down, and she hadn't even cared. "I just wanted to report what occurred before everyone was dead, you know," she said, however her lie did not remain strong for her voice cracked and her 'smile of lies,' so she called it, appeared on her face. She could never get rid of that smile, no matter how many white lies she had spoken.

"But-"

"Tea?" She cut in quickly, now able to erase the smile that had graced her deceiving lips. She didn't want the subject brought up, and especially not when she had a guest over (even if the guest was the one who spoke first).

"Sure..."

* * *

Beads of sweat rolled down her face as she tried to sleep, however she couldn't get the dark images of her mind.

_"Its all your fault we're dead," "you couldn't save us in time!" "You chose not to save us," _whispers and faces circulated her mind as she tossed and turned. All of their heartless words hit her as she tried to rid them from her head, but she couldn't help but admit she agreed.

It was all her fault. She couldn't save them, and she wasn't given a way to save them from the Apocalypse in time.

_"Alia, we entrust the future too you," _a new softer voice appeared in mind, it was female and familiar. _Zaylin? _Alia thought in the back of her mind. _"Even as the dead, we wish for you to live on and even avenge our people of the one who brought this upon us"_

_ Avenge? But it was my fault that their dead! _She screamed at herself.

_"Remember the promise, Alia, for it was not your fault. If blame must be placed, the Shadow Queen must take that spot. Live on without the guilt, live on as our people with our memory," _this voice was more familiar to her, easily being identified as Pacal Redmask. _"We do not blame you for trying, and now we ask you to not blame yourself." _

_"But I couldn't save you in time, I couldn't defeat them in time," she retorted weakly._

_ "No, our time was late since the beginning. She was always a step ahead, but next time we hope differently," _it was Zaylin who spoke once again. _"this fate had been inevitable, and it would have occurred eventually in another lifetime. You may weep, young-ling, but you mustn't put the weight of the world on your shoulder even if you feel obliged to do so for you are not."_

_ "But I.." _her voice escaped her, she couldn't think of how to respond. Yes, she had put the weight of the world on her shoulders ever since she returned to be the only survivor from her encounter with Malistare, a fate she really hadn't wanted. _"Maybe your right... thank you."_

* * *

That morning she woke she felt unburdened of the deaths and the fate of the spiral.

* * *

** Hello to anyone who dares read this author's note, and thanks for reading the one-shot I guess. I actually came up with this the night I finished AZ on my life wizard (Alia isn't her actual first name, just to let you know, its just another one I use for her). I mean (spoilers) you didn't really help Zafaria that well, but its not like the whole world got meteor showers raining down upon it killing citizens, right? And I really just wanted to write what would a wizard's thoughts be if they failed to complete a goal _and _allowed an apocalypse to begin, thus this story was born! One last note, Eric isn't actually an OC I know. I just stuck a name in there. Well, thank you for reading! **


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